by A. D’Souza
So for those to be brides….please do not ever make the mistake of going to American Romance in Oakville. There are 3 sales people - Mia, Moe & Joe - they are the nicest sales people until you pay for the dress. Once that’s done & you have to go back for the alterations….you’ll never see them. The store is all of a sudden always closed, no one answers the store phone, the cell numbers just ring & ring……you definately do not need this additional stress while planning your wedding. They know exactly how to screw up your wedding experience by almost not having a dress. They have no professionalism, no courtesy calls if they miss an appointment & to top it all of they try & blame you for something or the other. Brides to be or anyone wanting a gown from American Romance, please do not make the mistake of going there. I am talking from experience & my wedding is in October & I now have to find a seamstress who will alter my dress in a month, after having paid American Romance for the same.
American Romance
2360 Lakeshore Rd W
Oakville, ON
L6L 1H5
Tel - 905-901-0085
s mcmullen says...
I bought my dress at the bridal show in jan from American Romance. They told me it was a store sample but after finding some one to do alterations and cleaning because i could not get hold of them. I found out the dress had accually been worn. The cleaner had to remove red wine marks and found blood marks on the inside crinolin!!!
I feel like buying a new dress but have no time wedding Nov 21/2009
amber says...
I actually have to disagree with s mcmullen. I bought my dress at the bridal show as well and it was a store sample. Being a “store sample” means that the dress has been tried on by ALOT of people that is why it is a sample. Everyone knows that a sample being purchased is not the perfect gown. They did my dry cleaning and alterations for me and no one at my wedding could even tell it was a sample. The term “you get what you pay for” is exactly that. If you wanted a perfect gown that was brand new then you should have never bought a sample dress.
As for the comments left by A. D’Sousa, it’s probably not wise to leave such unruly comments especially by using people’s names. There’s “defamation of character” written all over it. You actually have no proof of your allegations. Being a lawyer myself, your comments have lawsuit written all over it. Here’s free advice for you. Get yourself a lawyer.
For all of you other brides out there, American Romance is an amazing store to go to. My dress was absolutely gorgeous even if it was a “store sample”. The sales people were amazing and Mia even decorated my wedding for me. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Married September 12th, 2009.
mgb_games says...
I have a friend in Oakville who WAS going to purchase her dress there, but after finding reviews on several other websites detailing the poor customer service, our business will be going elsewhere
lol says...
LOLLL I think Amber is an employee of this store, and not in fact a lawyer. Or maybe it’s just Mia herself writing a “good” review to counter the OP.
LOLOL says...
I have to agree with LOL… and add an extra LOLOLOL to it.
That post by Amber was hilarious and so obvious!
LOLOL says...
Also, if it was a store sample.. where did the red wine come from? Do you offer RED WINE while trying on dresses at YOUR store Amber?
Shaun says...
Clearly “Amber” is Mia. Any why is a lawyer buying a used dress . . . and using poor grammar?
“Being a lawyer myself, your comments have lawsuit written all over it.”
Either her COMMENT has lawsuit written all over it, or her COMMENTS have lawsuit written all over THEM.
Better watch that wording in court, clearly this business only wants the best representing them.
Missy says...
instead of Amber or Mia posting fake comments - she should really step up her game and make sure that every customer leaves happy. Its a perfect chance for this store to redeeem themselves and by threatning a lawsuit - I will definetly be keeping my distance. Its the calm before the storm and this store is starting to lose control and it shows.
Brooke says...
I’ve seen people shilling their own products on forums before, but never so blatantly as “Amber”. I guess subtlety is not his/her strong suit.
Laughing Out Loud October 21, 2009.
Alyssa says...
Free speach wasstill allowed last time I checked. Obviously this bride was unhappy, and dealing with a company that threatens to sue her for sharing her review/experience we can see why. Looks like a business that has forgotten the customer is always right. One bad review wouldn’t necessarily have me steer clear of a business, but the business response of threatening a lawsuit definately would. Kudos to this website for allowing us to see both sides of the story - including the horrible business response which is arguably worse than the initial complaint.
Ginger says...
Yeah, this Amber person is a little bit ridiculous. Sharing your opinion on something is not grounds for a lawsuit, defamation of character nor libel/slander. It’s an opinion based on a person’s experience with that particular shop.
The world has changed, and businesses have to change with it. People talk, the internet is just another way to communicate. If you want people to say good things about your business rather than bad things, then you need to step up to the plate and give them a reason to change their opinion about you by offering good customer service. Or just do it right from the beginning.
Trying to scare people by throwing the word lawsuit around is just going to damage your reputation, not improve it.
I bought my last bridesmaid dress in Oakville, and the next time I buy one I will definitely NOT be purchasing from American Romance Bridal after this fiasco.
A. D’Souza: 1
Bridal store: 0
sandra says...
I actually think you are all being unfair. I agree that Mia should come on here to explain exactly what happened.
Also, Beth is a friend of mine and she just tried to post another comment that had to be “moderated”. Seems to me like Boo is choosing which comments are to be posted. Obviously Boo is only trying to post comments which are negative and not any positive ones. Positive ones being that we are requesting Mia to come on the blog to tell her side of the story.
This is what Beth had to say originally before Boo decided not to post it.
“I agree with shejayd. We should still be able to see the information, but having the people’s names (especially last names) is probably not a wise thing to do if you want to avoid a lawsuit. The comment from Joeyjoejoe has a lot of truth to it. He wrote that “Since you actually had to read and approve it before it went up on the site, you are probably liable as a publisher.â€
Also, Mia sent you an email asking you to remove the article not post her email to you so that everyone can see it. That might have been a mistake on your part since you are now clearly not keeping her personal information private (like using her full name). That might also be grounds for a suit.”
Boo Radley - Why are you deleting posts if everyone has an opinion? It’s obvious you have control of what gets posted on here. Was that email from Mia even real or did you just want some really good gossip on here? Your thoughts on that one Boo??????????
sandra says...
I’m posting my comment here as Boo did not allow me to post on the other blogger page.
Ginger says...
Sandra,
Usually with blogs of this nature the first comment is automatically moderated. My site works the same way, too. It’s not a personal thing, it happens to everyone that posts the first time.
Whoever the admin is that is working today just needs to get through the queue. That’s why your comment is delayed.
In addition, I just finished reading all the comments on the other post. There are definitely people posting in favour of Mia and getting her to tell her story. This site is unbiased–you just need to wait for your comment to get through the queue. Boo isn’t out to get you!
H says...
WOW… people are allowed to have an opinion about service they received… Lawsuit! Ya right! I know from ACTUALLY being in the legal field that this is hardly anything the courts will give a crap about! Like really, the girl wasn’t happy with her service, she in her experience like she states doesn’t suggest other people go through what she did. Does that mean that this store is terrible, no, it just means that one customer wasn’t happy. I’m sure others had no problems what so ever. So really who cares, stop with threats that you know nothing about, you aren’t a lawyer because any lawyer I know wouldn’t write what you did! If the customer feels the store did not meet a certain level of REASONABLE professionalism that is up to the customer to decide and not for the store to decide for them.
Boo Radley says...
Thanks for clarifying this Ginger
Krystle says...
wow.. a lawsuit over someone stating there opinion and warning potential costumers about there horrible service?…freedom or speach???? i see no harm done there.. and i see a judge who’s going to laugh in this company’s face if they really take it to court… GROW UP… if your such a great company.. this ONE unhappy customer shouldn’t bother you!!!
Kaldirris says...
As far as a lawsuit goes, I highly doubt that it would get as far as a courtroom, for one important reason. The write-up was posted in the Product/Store Review forum, which, of course, is used to post someone’s PERSONAL experience in regard to a product or service.
Someone should tell Amber/Mia to read a law book sometime. Unless American Romance Bridal Store is suggesting that we are no longer permitted to HAVE an opinion contrary to their own? Hmmm - I smell a lawsuit!!!
We could always counter-sue, and cite our Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms … I think that’s the right name for it. If it’s not, I guess someone could sue me.
blizz_27 says...
These posts have definitely been entertaining! Consider the term “freedom of speech!”
besides … what if companies like Air Canada decided to after every single person that complained about them on blog sites!? sheesh!
Unbelievable says...
I have been in the shoes of many of these brides-to-be. A company has to be aware that when you do not deliever on your commitments to your customers, the power of the voices of your customers are much louder than your own. This whole “i will sue you if you don’t remove your comments” is a scare tactic that all businesses like to use.. what do they say.. “Flex your muscles” so to speak. Some of you are right when you said that the minute the till rings in your order, that is the end of their of their commitment to you. As a consumer, it is OUR right to speak up and advise anyone of either the quality of service we received from a business or in this case the deplorable service received. Being in business myself, I truly understand the frustrations that some of you have towards the above mentioned. Many of my new customers have indicated to me that a “friend or family member” refered them because of the exceptional service that my staff and I provide. We do not promise anything to our customers that we cannot deliver on.
So, the moral of the story to the folks of this establishment…. Without customers, you have no business…Why is it so hard to understand the importance of keeping your customers happy? Keeping your customers happy is the key to keeping your customers.
Marissa says...
Ok this IS awesome. Very good example of ignorance.
1) The company can not sue you for having someone’s opinion of a store of your site. They can only sue you if you’ve used unauthorized copyrighted information or branding. Companies that do this outside of fraudulent activity typically look desperate anyways.
2) Good for Amber for posting her own experience but she ruined it by claiming to be a lawyer and threatening legal action when by her words, she is clearly not qualified to pursue this. But good try, it probably felt good to hit submit.
3) I use my real name often when writing reviews - it adds credibility and I know that it is safe from lawsuits that have no credibility. It’s not like she called Mia a dirty name. She reviewed the store from her experience.
4) American Romance needs to suck it up and get some customer service. IF you sell dresses but don’t offer alterations, get a list of seamstresses and offer it to your clients with the expectation that all you do is sell dresses.
channel jewelry says...
. There are 3 sales people - Mia, Moe & Joe - they are the nicest sales people until you pay for the dress. Once that’s done & you have to go back for the alterations….you’ll never see them
Juliane Arterberry says...
This blog has been loading slowly for me the last couple of days. I thought maybe it was my pc, but my sister visits your web site too and she told me the exact same issue is occurring to her. Any ideas?
shaz says...
I bought my wedding dress from them in 2007, i seen the dress, tried it on and loved it.. when they sent it to me (as i live away from Canada) it was worn by someone else as it had sweat stains !!!! it was disgusting to say the least and Mo and Mia attended to me.. sucks!